Five conflicting British skin care tips for winter

Okay, spend less time in the shower … but keep your skin moist. And, stay dry. It’s confusing stuff, right? Well, we’re all used to getting conflicting advice, from employers to religious authorities. So, how do you use it? The best way is to pick and choose what’s most convenient, I’ve found, and just accept the consequences when they (inevitably) come.

Well, winter is around the corner – you’ve probably noticed the air getting a little crisper. It’s always a good idea to think ahead, especially if you want to protect your skin from the cruel cold in the coming weeks and months. I stumbled across the following tips in The Sun, and if you can make sense of them, you’ll be all set when the cold wind starts to blow.

1. Manage your temperature: this shouldn’t be too hard, you know, in winter. Make the inside more like the outside by keeping the heat down. Apparently, this will keep your skin from drying out. If you start to shiver, put on a sweater (or sweatshirt … or smoking jacket).2. Stay stinky: if you smell, you’re doing well. Spend less time in the shower, and don’t allow yourself to enjoy the decadence of hot water. Of course, athletes and laborers can shower as much as they want, along with anyone else who sweats like a pig. The Sun suggests: “shower or bathe every other day and spot-wash trouble-spots such as armpits, hands, feet and face.”

3. But, make sure you stay wet: and this is where the fun begins. Keep the temperature down to stay moist (1), and avoid water by not showering (2). Now, The Sun says, “Keep skin moist.” Check this out:

Try Vaseline Intensive Care’s DermaCare lotion (£2.79 for 200ml). Boots’ skincare adviser Steve Barton says: “Slather it on after a bath or shower, preferably before your skin has dried out entirely, so it can trap moisture in.”

4. Wear protection: if you work with detergents a lot (e.g., dishwasher), you again want to avoid the stuff. Throw on some gloves.

5. Keep the water inside you … and stay dry on the outside: it’s important to stay hydrated. So, even though you want to be moist and dry at the same time, don’t forget to put some fluids inside you. On the outside, particularly your clothing, do your best to keep the water away.

[photo by joshjanssen via Flickr]